Vocational Education and Training, VET: European Credit system ECVET 

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted a report drafted by Thomas MANN (EPP-ED, DE) and made some amendments to the proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). The committee highlights that ECVET is applicable at all levels of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

The main amendments – made in 1st reading of the codecision procedure – are as follows :

A new recital notes that the introduction and implementation of ECVET is voluntary, and can therefore only be undertaken in accordance with existing national laws and regulations. This recommendation thus complies with the principle of subsidiarity by supporting and complementing the activities of Member States, facilitating cooperation between them, increasing transparency and promoting mobility and lifelong learning.

Recommendation 1 : Member States should promote the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training as set out in Annex 1 and 2 at all levels of the EQF in order to facilitate trans-national mobility and recognition of learning outcomes in vocational education and training and borderless lifelong learning;

Recommendation 2 : they should use ECVET, in particular by adopting measures for its testing, starting as soon as possible from 2012 onwards, and its gradual application to vocational education and training qualifications from level 1 to level 8 of the EQF.

Intention 2 : the Commission should develop a users' guide, tools and expertise for reinforcing the compatibility and complementarity of ECVET and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System used in the Higher Education sector, in collaboration with VET and higher education experts and users at European and national levels and provide regular information on the developments of ECVET ;

Intention 3 : it should monitor the action taken, guaranteeing access to the guidance material for all interested citizens, and, after the assessment and evaluation of this action carried out and the tests conducted in cooperation with the Member States, report, five years after the adoption of this Recommendation, on the experience gained and implications for the future, including, if necessary, a review and adaptation of a final Recommendation, involving the updating of the technical annexes and guidance material.

Lastly, it should be noted that this proposal is closely linked to the proposal on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (please see COD/2008/0069).